Oh boy, the third installment of the Ellie Haskell’s series is a bone chilling look at motherhood. Of course the fact that it is hilarious gets you through the moments of terror and suspense. Mum’s the Word by Dorothy Cannell is pretty good.

Of course Ben and Ellie have been married for a while at this point. Life is good and then Ben gets an exclusive invitation to try out for Mange, a secretive cooking society. The only problem is that it is in America, and he wants the now pregnant Ellie to go with him. That’s right! Ellie is pregnant!

So off they go on a series of adventures that bring them to Mendenhall, a forbidding mansion that had been the location of a movie in which Ellie’s mother had a part. It currently was owned by Theola Faith, star of the movie Melancholy Mansion, but her daughter Mary had possession. Ellie and Ben get caught up in the mystery surrounding Mary and Theola Faith, especially the allegations made by Mary in her expose Monster Mommy.

Between the family feud and the secretive cooking competition Ellie begins to feel lost and overwhelmed by the amount of weight she is gaining. And her cravings are the stuff of legend! Has she lost her husband to the Manges? Will the setting of Melancholy Mansion bring her closer to the memory of her mother?

This is a funny and suspenseful book with an ending as heartwarming as it can be. The solution to the mystery is also fantastic!

It’s a fun and a clean book. There might have been a word or two…. I can’t wait to read the next one!